


Their Place

by hma1313



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternative Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2015-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-22 17:44:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4844549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hma1313/pseuds/hma1313
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thomas' place is behind the English block, the alcove where he goes to have secret cigarettes at break and lunch. Then one day he gets there to find someone in his place, and just like that, everything changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Their Place

**Author's Note:**

> I got emotional over the last series of Downton starting so I wrote this because really, what is a fandom without a high school au?

The bell rang at 11.15, signalling the beginning of break and the end of Thomas' English Lit class. He was out of the classroom door as soon as he could, glad that the pointless class discussion they'd had on Marxism had come to a close. He'd done it all before anyway - he was only there because he was resitting the year due to the fact that he hadn't got the grades to get into his preferred university.

He walked around the back of the English block, to the alcove where he could light up a cigarette without being caught by the teachers or any of the younger kids figuring out where the actual places to have a smoke were without landing a detention and a letter home. Except when Thomas rounded the corner today, his hand already digging through the pocket of his satchel, reaching for his cigarettes, there was already a few wisps of smoke curling their way around the corner. Thomas sighed - there was no way he could make it to his other spot behind the gym now as it was right on the other side of school, but he really needed the short break of relief from having a smoke right now, so he was going to have to face whoever it was that had stolen his secret alcove.

"You got a light?" These were Thomas' greeting words as he rounded the corner. He had his own lighter with him, but he might as well try to make conversation with whoever it was rather than standing there in an awkward silence until the bell rang, signalling that it was time to move to lessons.

"Oh, yeah." The boy fished a thin plastic lighter out of his jeans pocket and handed it over. "Here."

Thomas took a look at the boy as he lit his cigarette. Well, he wasn't a boy, Thomas guessed he was probably only a couple of years younger than himself, most likely in Year 12 as he didn't recognise him. He was attractive, too, very attractive, and Thomas couldn't help but wonder if he was gay and what those plump, pink lips would feel like on his own.

"So, what are you studying?" Thomas eventually asked in an attempt to drag his mind out of the gutter and back onto solid ground.

"A2 English Lit, Georgraphy and History," the boy replied. "I've also picked up an extra AS in World Development this year as well, just to get my points up. What about you?"

"English Lit, English Language and Philosophy," Thomas said. "I'm Year 13 as well, but I'm resitting the year. I'm Thomas, by the way."

"Jimmy. Results day not what you hoped it would be, then?"

"No," Thomas said, leaning against the wall and taking a deep drag out of his cigarette. "I got 3Bs, which got me into my back up universities, but I didn't really want to go to any of them. I need As, so I'm resitting."

They smoked in companionable silence for a while, the only noise coming from the twittering birds in a nearby trees and the shouts of the primary school children playing tag across the street. Eventually, the bell rang, meaning it was time to move to lessons, and Thomas found himself not wanting to leave.

"Same time tomorrow?" Jimmy asked, stubbing out his cigarette.

"Sure," Thomas smiled, trying not to seem too eager. "Why not?"

* * *

Thomas and Jimmy's break time smokes quickly became a habit. Thomas found himself always waiting for the 11.15 bell to ring, so he could drop whatever he was doing and go to their place. Somewhere along the course of the last week it had turned from 'his place' to 'their place', and Thomas wasn't quite sure how to feel about this sudden change in dynamics.

"What do you do at lunchtime?" Jimmy asked. It was Thursday, a week since they'd first met, and they were sat on the ground, sharing a cigarette because Jimmy had had his taken off of him after his foster mum had caught him smoking out his bedroom window. "Go into town? I've never seen you in the common room."

"I'm usually here or in the library," Thomas shrugged. "Depends on the weather."

"Well, would you like to join me and my friends for lunch today? I'm sure they won't mind."

"Sure," Thomas found himself saying, even though he hated the mere thought of stepping foot into the common room. "I'd love to."

* * *

Lunches with Jimmy and his friends also became a regular thing. Daisy, Ivy and Alfred were all really nice and easy to get along with, and Thomas found himself almost enjoying the time he spent with them in the common room. He even ventured in there when he had a free period instead of going to the library, and quickly found himself joining in with a rather competitive game of cards. Jimmy was not best pleased when Thomas won, throwing his cards across the table in a strop.

"You cheated," Jimmy accused. "How are you so good at a game you'd never even played before?"

"Beginners luck, I suppose," Thomas said, his lips raising into a smile at the sight of Jimmy's very unimpressed face, folded arms and pursed lips. "Don't look so moody about it."

"I'll look moody whenever I damn well please, thank you," Jimmy snapped. "Don't tell me what to do."

"He gets like this sometimes," Ivy said from across the the table as she worked on her Food Technology homework. "It's best just to ignore him."

"He was worse when Alfred thought he was hitting on you, Ivy," Daisy chipped in. "Remember that? He and Alfred didn't speak to each other for weeks. Jimmy doesn't even like girls, for crying out loud."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," Jimmy said. "And what does the fact that I'm gay have anything to do with this?"

"Oh, nothing," Ivy smiled with a pointed glance in Thomas' direction. "Nothing at all."

Thomas took in these developments as he collected the cards from across the table and began to reshuffle them. It was all good news as far as he was concerned - the discovery that Jimmy was indeed gay meant he had a better chance with him than he'd originally thought, and that look that Ivy had given certainly meant something. But what that something meant, he didn't know.

"Whatever," Jimmy said, picking up his bag and slinging in onto his shoulder. "I'm off to talk to Grantham about the Lit homework he's set. See you later."

He walked out of the common room, and Thomas suddenly realised that he still had Jimmy's cards. He put the now shuffled pack back into their packet and put it into his school bag, telling himself that he'd give the cards back to Jimmy whenever he next saw him.

"He likes you, you know," Ivy said as she put her pencil case away in her bag. "Jimmy, I mean. Ever since he first met you, you're all he's ever spoken about. It's all Thomas this and Thomas that until we were sick of the sound of you. No offence, but you know what I mean. He's absolutely infatuated with you."

Thomas didn't even try to hide his smile. "Well, I suppose I wouldn't be speaking out of turn if I said that the feeling was mutual, then, would I?"

"No," Daisy said. "Definitely not. Ask him out, Thomas. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain."

"Okay," Thomas said, already planning how the asking-Jimmy-out thing would go. "I'll do that."

* * *

It took Thomas until the next Friday to pluck up the courage to ask Jimmy out. Throughout the entire week, Ivy and Daisy and even on occasion Alfred had been giving him pointed looks and asking him if he'd done it yet when Jimmy wasn't around. It eventually happened at Friday break time, when Thomas and Jimmy were sat smoking in what was definitely now 'their' place. Jimmy was leaning on Thomas' shoulder, smoking his own cigarette this time as Anstruther had finally relented and given them back.

"So, Jimmy, tell me," Thomas said, "what do you normally do on the weekends?"

"Depends," Jimmy shrugged. "Homework, mainly. Why?"

"You doing anything tonight?"

"Hadn't got anything planned, no."

"You want to go out? To the cinema or something?"

"With you? Like a date?" Jimmy asked, stopping smoking his cigarette and letting it burn down dangerously close to his knuckles, looking up at Thomas with wide eyes. 

"Yes, a date," Thomas clarified. "I mean, if you want."

"I'd love to," Jimmy said, stubbing his cigarette out on the concrete and turning to face Thomas fully. "Meet you in the town square at 7?"

"Yeah, then we can just decide what to do from there," Thomas agreed. "Sounds like a plan."

The bell rang, bringing them back down to earth. Thomas had Lit, Jimmy had History, so they were on totally different side of the school. 

"Alright then, I guess I'll see you later," Jimmy said, standing up and brushing the dirt off his jeans. "Bye."

Jimmy picked up his bag and started to leave, but then turned back round and placed a brief, but nonetheless satisfying, kiss onto Thomas' lips. "See ya." 

"Yeah, see ya," Thomas echoed as Jimmy disappeared round the corner with a smirk on his lips and a spring in his step. Thomas found himself smiling, glad of the moment about two weeks ago when Jimmy Kent had stumbled into his life in a cloud of cigarette smoke. 'His place' had quickly become 'their place', and he wouldn't change it for the world. 

**Author's Note:**

> hang out with me on [tumblr](http://pllsetskyonice.tumblr.com//) for a questionable mix of fandoms and ships


End file.
